Gyroscopic airplane



p 1932- H. M. SALISBURY ET AL 1,875,891

GYROSCOPIC AIRPLANE Filed July 28, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Hez-vcyMSalisbury mad z fz'thurEMlLer Sept. ,v 1932- H. M. SALISBURY ET AL 1,875,891

GYROSCOPIC AIRPLANE Filed July 28. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Hervey M Salisbury and AI'LbLLPEMilLe-r @wg .QQAAL ATTORNEY Sept. 6, 1932. H. M. SALISBURY ET AL 1,875,891

GYROSCOPIC AIRPLANE Filed July 28. 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet a w x A w /M////// INVENTORS Hervey M Salisbury and ArlljurE.Miler 5r ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 6, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HERVEY M. SALISBURY, OI WALNUT GROVE, AND ARTHUR E. MILLER, 01 SACRA- MENTO, CALIFORNIA GYROSCOPIC AIRPLANE Application filed July 28, 1930. Serial No. 471,308.

This invention relates to improvements in airplanes, and particularly to one of the g 'roscopic type, in which if are provided to take the place of or are in ad- 5 dition to the wings, to lift and sup ort the plane in the air. The structure of t e present invention also has certain features in common with, and represents modifications and improvements over, the structure shown in our copendin application for patent, Serial No. 413,220, led December 11, 1930.

Our aim is to provide an airplane which is capable of being made in a relatively small size and at a consequent low cost, suitable for individual operation and ownership by persons of moderate means; and particularly intended for use by personswhose residential property includes a limited area of surrounding or adjacent ground, but of suflicient size to permit a certain movement of an airplane thereon, and which also has sufficient space for the erection of a small hangar.

To enable the airplane to be feasibly used under such conditions therefor it is necessary not only that it be of small size but that it be capable of taking off and landing in a restricted space. It is also desirable that such an airplane shall be capable of being folded somewhat when it ,is to be housed, so that a hangar of suflicient size to accommodate the folded plane ma be erected without taking up a disproportionate amount of the available ground area.

The constructional features of an airplane whereby it is made practicable for use under the above conditions form the'major objects of our invention. It. is to be understood however, and as will be obvious from the accompanying drawings and description, that our improved airplane is not necessarily limited to one of small size but can be built of any size and still retain features of utility and novelty over the present forms of construction.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device, and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects we accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of ting propellers ward portion of the airplane showing the parts as will fully appear by a perusal of thefollowing specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of our improved airplane as unfolded for flying.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the airplane as folded for housing in a hangar of restricted width.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the air lane showing the wings in their unfolded or ying position, as in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the fordriving and control mechanism for the various features in a somewhat diagrammatic form.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of a lifting propeller shaft, partly in section, showing the means for adjusting the auxiliary lifting propeller flaps or vanes.

. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of an auxiliary propeller showing the vanes outstretched.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings the numeral 1 denotes afuselage of conventional shape at the nose of which is mounted the driving propeller 2. Landing wheels 3 of the usual type depend from the fuselage adj acent its forward end. Secured to and projecting'outwardly from the fuselage toward the front of the same and on both sides are horizontal longitudinally spaced rigid spars 4 and 5, the spars 4 being the forward ones and longer than the spars 5.

Each of the wings 6 (there being one on each side on a level with the spars) projects outwardly from the outer end of the corresponding spar, said wing having a spar 7 extending to a permanent hinged connection with the adjacent end of the spar 5 and on a vertical axis, as indicated at 8. The spars 5 are longitudinally alined with each other when the wing is outstretched and in flying position. The wing also carries a yoke or clip 9 projecting from its inner edge to aline with and engage the outer end of the spar 4 when the wing is outstretched: the yoke being then disengageably coupled to said spar by any suitable means. The wing is braced by angularly depending struts 10 of conventional character. These struts at their lower ends have hinged or pivotal connection with supporting means 11 projecting outwardly from the fuselage adjacent the bottom of the same; said pivotal connection being in coaxial alinement with the upper hinge 8 so that the wing can swing rearwardly without binding.

The length of the spar 5 outwardly of the fuselage is slightly greater than the distance along the edge of the wing from the spar 7 to the rear edge of the wing, so that when the latter is swung rearwardly, it will lie closely against the body in transverse alinement therewith. i Therefore when both wings are folded the width of the airplane is considcrably less than when said wings are extended,

and the plane may be housed in a corre spondingly narrow hangar. The length of the wings relative to that of the fuselage is such that the folded wings do not extend rearwardly of the elevator and rudder unit of the plane, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the length of the fuselage determines the length of the hangar.

On account of the limitations to the size of the wings imposed by the above recited requirements, it will be obvious that the wing area while sufiicient to prope ly support the airplane in the air when travj ing 60 M. P. H. or over, is insufficient to en lo the machine to properly take off or land, or sustain it when traveling at a low speed. We have therefore provided additional supporting and lifting means arranged as follows:

It is first to be noted that an open space of considerable size is formed between the fuselage and the adjacent edge of each wing when the wings are in their flying position. Projecting upwardly in each space centrally of the transverse extent thereof and preferably just ahead of the rear spar 5 is a vertical tubular shaft 12, depending to approximately the level of the bottom of the fuselage and projecting some distance above the top of the same. This shaft is journaled in top and bottom bearings 13 and possibly intermediate bearings as well if necessary, said bearings being supported from the fuselage in any suitable manner. Fixed on the upper end of each shaft is a main lifting propeller 14, of the same general form as shown in our above mentioned copending application and functioning in the same manner. The present propellers have only two diametrally op posed blades however; the propellers of the two shafts being disposed at slightly differ ent levels so that the blades may overlap each other with their rotation. This enables blades of relatively greatlength to be used without them interfering with each other and without the necessity of the shafts being dis posed great distances apart. The two-blade arrangement in this particular instance enables the propellers when disposed with their blades in parallel alinement longitudinally of the airplane, to be entirely within the total width of the structure when the wings are folded, as shown in Fig. 2, so that they do not project outwardly of the line of the outer edges of the folded wings. Owing to the fact that these propellers only have two blades however their lifting or sustaining effect is of course not as great as with the original four-bladed type. We have therefore added auxiliary or booster propellers, mounted on the same shafts as the propellers 14, but so arranged that they do not add to the width of the airplane. I

These auxiliary propellers 15 are of the same general shape and nature as the propellers l4 and there are preferably two of them on each shaft 12, disposed in vertically spaced relation to each other and to the corresponding propeller 14. These propellers are preferably disposedso that the plane of the wing 6 is substantially central between the two, as shown in Fig. 3. Since these propellers are in vertical alinement with the space between the fuselage wing, no interference is had with the free vertical movement of air to or from these propellers. Hinged along the following edges of the blades of each propeller 15 are flaps or vanes 16, from the adjacent ends of which in diametrally opposed relation relative to the shaft 12, horns 17 depend. From the lower ends of these horns cables 18 lead to the interior of the shaft 12 through slots 19 therein and over pulleys 2O fixed in connection there with. Inside the shaft the cables of all the horns are connected to a common control cable 21 located axially of the shaft and extending to the bottom of the same and thence over a direction changing pulley 22 fixed in connection with the adjacent shaft bearing 13. A swivel joint 23 of suitable character is interposed in the cable above but near this pulley so that the shaft and cable may turn Without the latter becoming twisted. From the pulley 22 said cable leads into the cockpit of the fuselage and thence to a suitable control means such as a lever 24. This lever is arranged in connection with said cable so that upon manipulating the lever tension will be applied to the cable to pull the same or it may be allowed to run slack, as may be desired. By this means the vanes may be set and held at any desired downward angle relative to the pitch angle of the propeller blades on which the vanes are mounted. The propeller units may therefore exert a greater lifting effect than would otherwise be the case, presuming that such propellers are being positively driven by power applied to the shaft 12, and are not being merely rotated by the air stream from the driver propeller 2.

As will be seen later, however, such propellers are also at once intended to be rotated by the horizontal air stream, and in It is to be noted that such propellers 14 are also preferably equipped with the controlled vanes operating in conjunction with the vanes of the lower propellers 15, as above described. It will be seen that on account of the manner of connecting the vanes 16 to the control cables such cables only prevent the upward movement of the vanes and do not prevent further downward movement of the same. If the cable 21 is therefore allowed to run slack, so that the vanes may assume a horizontal position, there is nothing to then prevent them automatically assuming a downward vertical position when being acted on by the air stream.

The driving mechanism for the different propellers and also for the landing wheels when desired is essentially arranged as followsz.

The power plant which is preferably a gas engine 25 is mounted in the fuselage ahead of the cockpit and is arranged with its shaft on a horizontal transverse axis, as shown in Fig. 4. relatively large friction cone 26 is fixed on the shaft and is engaged at circumferentially spaced points by friction inions 27, 28, and 29. The pinion 27 is sli ably keyed onto a shaft 30 which is attached to the propeller 2, while the pinion 28 is slidably keyed on a shaft 31 which is'connected by a gearing and chain drive arrangement 32 with the landing wheels 3. The pinion 29 is slidably keyed on a shaft 33 which is connected by suitable gearing 34 with a transverse shaft 35. This shaft projects from the fuselage on both sides and is disposed so that its axis intersects the axis of vertical shafts 12. The outer ends of the shaft 35 carry bevel gears 36 which engage bevel pinions 37 fixed on the shafts 12. Separate control levers 38, convenient to the pilot, are independently connected to the various friction pinions by suitable arrangements as at 39, to enable said ,pinions to be selectively withdrawn from frictional engagement with the driving'cone, as conditions of operation may require.

When taking off the lifting propellers (controlled from the pinion 29) are all driven at full speed. The driving pro eller 2 however if turning at all is only eing driven at a reduced or relatively slow speed. The speed of the propeller is controlled by a suitable manipulation of the corresponding pinion 27 so as to cause the latter to slippingly engage the driving cone. The use of friction pinions all taking from a common driving cone, enables the desired speed ratios to be obtained, without the use of transmissions or other speed changing gear arrangements. When the desired altitude has been attained the driving propeller is allowed to rotate at full speed, while the lifting propellers are disengaged from driving relation with the engine by retracting the corresponding pinion 29. The lifting propellers will then be driven or rotated solely by the horizontal air stream set up with the rotation of the driving propeller 2, with the results as previously described.

The driving connections with the wheels 3 and controlled by the pinion 28 are of course idle except after landing has been effected, and it is desired to move the airplane along the ground. In this case the various propellers are disengaged from driving relation with the engine and the plane may be manipulated by wheel movement alone, which permits of a better control of the airplane, especially in restricted areas, than can be had by depending on the rotation of the driving propeller, as is now done.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that we have'produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction A of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims. Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and useful and desire secure by Letters Patent is: 1. In an airplane having separate wings disposed to the sides of the same, pivotal connections between said wings and the fuselage of the airplane disposed to enable said wings to be folded backwardly and in a horizontal plane so as to extend alongside the fuselage, and transversely spaced lifting propellers above the wings; said propellers each having two blades only and their axes being so disposed that when the blades of the propellers lie in parallel relation to each other longitudinally of the airplane, the propellers will be contained within the overall w1dth of the airplane when the wings are folded.

2. In an airplane having separate wings disposed to the sides of the same, longitudinally spaced spars projecting outwardly from the fuselage when the wings are outstretched,

' disposed in the spaces between the wings and fuselage, lifting propellers mounted on the upper ends of the shafts above the fuselage, and auxiliary propellers mounted on said shafts between the top and bottom levels of' the fusela e.

4. An airplane including a fuselage, monoplane wing structures disposed at the sides of the fuselage in spaced relation thereto, vertical shafts supported from the fuselage and disposed in the spaces between the wings and fuselage, lifting propellers mounted on the upper ends of the shafts above the fuselage, and a pair of auxiliary propellers mounted on each shaft in spaced relation to each other and to the lifting propeller; one such auxiliary propeller being above and the other one below, the horizontal plane of the corresponding wing.

5. In an airplane, a vertical shaft, a propeller thereon, vanes extending along and hinged to the following edges of the blades of each propeller, and means for setting the vanes at different angles relative to a horizontal plane and for holding the same against return movement to such plane without interfering with the movement of the vanes to a depending vertical position.

6. A structure as in claim 5, in which said airplane has a driving propeller disposed to set up a horizontal air-stream, the first named propeller located so as to be affected by said air-stream; and means for selectively driving said propellers.

7. In an airplane, a vertical shaft, a propeller thereon, vanes extending along and hinged to the following edges of the blades of said propeller, horns depending from the hinged edges of the vanes at their adjacent ends and disposed in substantially diametrally opposed relation to the shaft, cables connected to said horns and extending into the interior of the shaft through slots provided therein, a cable disposed within and axially of the shaft and connected at its upper end to said first named cables, a direction changing pulley fixed below the shaft and about which said cable passes after emerging from the shaft, and a swivel connection interposed in said cable adjacent but above the pulley.

8. In an airplane, a vertical hollow shaft, a propeller thereon, vanes extending along and hinged to the following edges of the blades of said propeller, horns depending from the vanes at their adjacent ends, operating means connected to said horns and extending down the interior of the shaft centrally thereof to adjacent the bottom of the same, an operatin tures.

HERVEY M. SALISBURY. ARTHUR E. MILLER. 

